Now Gers have to protect asset Alfie – or cash in

GIO VAN BRONCKHORST has got Alfredo Morelos back, bang on the money.

Now Rangers need to make sure they don’t get left short-changed.

The Colombian international is going into the final 18 months of his contract.

It is a dangerous time, especially when it comes to the transfer market and maximising returns.

The Light Blues need to look at extending El Bufalo’s contract or cashing in. Who knows, maybe Rangers have opened talks and the player is quite happy to see out his contract?

Perhaps, he’s already at the top end of the wage scale and Rangers would be prepared to cash in?

We don’t know what has gone on behind the front doors of Ibrox.

But the 25-year-old has never hidden his desire to play in one of Europe’s top leagues.

By the time his Ibrox contract is up he will be 27. He’d effectively be in his prime to get a lifechanging contract.

There have always been question marks over his Colombian national team involvement because he only plays in Scotland.

His own reputation at times has put clubs off and made others baulk at his valuation.

Rangers have had big-money bids in the past from theclubs such as Lille but they held out because it didn’t meet their asking price.

Rangers fans may argue but his value has dropped since then.

Yes, he still scores goals and he has cleaned up his disciplinary act on the field. But his figures haven’t been up there with previous seasons.

He got 18 in his first season, 30 in his second, 29 in his third and was down to 17 in the last campaign, even though Rangers won the league.

Morelos has scored some big goals and especially in Europe where he has overtaken Ally McCoist as the club’s record scorer. But there was still the feeling he wasn’t at 100 per cent.

There are times Morelos hasn’t looked in peak condition. When he is fully focused, in a physical joust you’d back him nine times out of 10.

Football management is not rocket science despite what some people might try to make us believe and van Bronckhorst has shown that with Morelos.

He is a goalscorer. Get him in the box, provide him with chances and he will score goals.

Morelos has shown his true value with four goals in his last five games. He had only nine goals under Steven Gerrard but now

If Rangers continue in the exact same form Morelos can hit 30 goals again

he’s up to 13 after four in his last five outings.

If Rangers continue in the exact same form Morelos can hit the 30-goal barrier again. Another big goal haul will only bring more interest.

It then all depends if a club was to meet Gers’ magic number.

The issue is when you go into the final year of a contract the value drops and you risk the player sitting tight and leaving on freedom of contract.

That’s why Rangers have to be clever and protect their assets or cash-in while they can.

Whatever happens the £1million Rangers paid HJK Helsinki will remain a bargain – regardless of what happens with Morelos and Rangers over the next 18 months.